What to Expect, Long Term, From Your Liposuction Surgery

Once your surgical site has healed, the swelling and fluid retention have resolved, what comes next? What can you expect from liposuction surgery in the long term? Here, we talk about a few experiences that many of our patients share after liposuction surgery.

It may take your mind a little while to catch up to the new reality of your body.

You chose liposuction because years of struggling with finding the right clothes, camouflaging your least-liked body features, and fighting a losing battle with diet and exercise. Before surgery, you may have been excited and exhilarated–looking forward to clothes shopping or to shedding your feelings of discomfort or embarrassment. But post-surgery, you may feel as though you’re still dealing with those same concerns.

Discovering some of your old insecurities are present may feel discouraging in the extreme. It may help to remind yourself that this is normal. You lived in your pre-liposuction body for many years. During that time, you developed a number of habits, from feeling self-conscious about your body to reaching for clothing to hide yourself. Retraining your mind takes time. Be patient. As you get more comfortable in your new body, you’ll develop new habits to match.

Your fat cells won’t return….

“Fat” can be thought of as having two separate parts: the fat cells themselves, and the fat substance that fills the cells. When people “lose weight” through diet or exercise, they lose the substance inside the cells, but the cells themselves remain.

During liposuction, however, fat cells in the targeted area are removed from the body. Even if you gain weight, the bulges that were removed will not return, because there are significantly fewer fat cells in that area to create the “bulge.”

…but it’s still wise to pay attention to a healthy lifestyle.

Despite the fact you have fewer fat cells in treated areas, you are not immune to gaining weight, and it’s possible to develop “new bulges” in other areas. Your body still contains fat cells, and that’s good for you. Some fat is required for healthy functioning.

Therefore, use your liposuction surgery as a great jumping-off point for a commitment to a new healthy lifestyle. Get out more. Discover new nutritious foods for your diet. Explore new exercises or physical activities you might enjoy. Doing so will maximize your surgical results, and it help you feel better, inside and out.